Benny Gantz
Benny GantzPhoto by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90

The Yamina party called on Blue and White chairman MK Benny Gantz to give up on some of his demands to ensure the formation of a unity government after President Reuven Rivlin said he would not extend Gantz's mandate to form the government.

"Gantz, there's no shame in giving up," the Yamina party said in a statement. "In the first place, your demands, as the chairman a 17-member faction facing a 59-member bloc, were illogical and illegitimate with no democratic backing."

"We urge you to take responsibility, join national unity government headed by Netanyahu, give up the Justice Department and Judiciary Committee, and allow sovereignty over all settlement immediately, as members of the absolute majority of the future coalition request. This is the essence of democracy."

At the same time, the Yesh Atid party demanded that Blue and White resume its push for legislation which would bar Binyamin Netanyahu from serving as prime minister.

MK Boaz Toporovsky stated: "Gantz, now is your chance, before the mandate is taken from you, to advance the laws you signed off on and which you are preventing from being promoted as Knesset Speaker: 1. Term limits for the prime minister. 2. MKs indicted of criminal charges will not be allowed to run for office.

Benny, take advantage of the moment and do what you promised before it is too late, for yourself and for Israeli democracy."